


Heart Of Glass

by NympheSama



Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anniversary, Gay Sex, Heartache, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jealousy, M/M, Sex, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 15:03:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17983364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: When Taylor sees something he can't explain, his heart feels like its breaking.Drunken antics have long lasting consequences, and when Taylor finally faces Jake; he finds himself taken entirely by surprise





	Heart Of Glass

**Author's Note:**

  * For [winchesteenwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winchesteenwolf/gifts).



> This. Was. Not. Supposed. To. Be. This. Long.
> 
> Seriously, it was just this cute - okay - painful, little idea i had and i thought 'oh yeah thats cool, that will help me get back into the swing'
> 
> A bloody week later, its finally ready.
> 
> I REALLY hope you enjoy this; its been a blast to write and i love it so... i hope you do too
> 
> Please let me know what you make of it; its very special to me right now...
> 
> See you on the 12th for Diego's birthday! ♡
> 
> x My love to you all x

**Heart Of Glass.**

Taylor hummed to himself, glancing at the clock periodically as he shimmied around the kitchen, half singing along to some of his favourite songs, as he attended to several pots and pans; while carefully timing a slow roasting joint of beef in the oven. "Rosemary with the potatoes, which are roasting nicely... some onion in with the meat, which I can use in the gravy and..." He muttered, turning several dials as he adjusted the various heat settings to his satisfaction. "All systems are go." He huffed happily, strutting across the kitchen as he grabbed a bowl and began to mix eggs and flour into a basic batter mix.

"Jake McKenzie, you are a spoilt bastard." He hummed smugly, glancing at the clock again as his joyful expression darkened with exasperation briefly. "You're also cutting it _damn_ close to being late..." He said warningly, despite his lovers continued absence. He clucked his tongue and forced his concerns aside, returning his attention to his Yorkshire puddings as a small smile reemerged upon his lips. "But, I'm sure you're on your way... and you've just paused for flowers, or something else as utterly sweet and romantic, which you always claim to hate." He snickered, rolling his hips in lazy figure eights, as he emptied his batter mix into a waiting, preheated muffin tray.

Taylor quickly crossed the kitchen and grabbed some oven mitts, opening the door to release a blast of heat as he put them on, before reaching in and carefully removing the tray with his joint if beef. He quickly closed the oven door, setting the sizzling tray with his beef down onto a heat proof mat. He grabbed a spoon to collect some of the juices, drizzling it over the meat slowly, before allowing it to rest for a moment, while he returned across the kitchen for his Yorkshire puddings.

" _All rise_ ," he murmured distractedly, carefully sauntering back to the oven and opening the door slowly. " _All rise_..." He half pleaded, as he slid the batter onto the centre of a shelf and slowly closing the door again. _"I rest my_ _case."_ He said smugly, gently closing the door and sliding away across the floor with a shake of his hips. Taylor made a slow rotation of the kitchen, his heart almost fit to burst with contentment, as he drew in a deep breath and sighed.

"Okay..." He huffed, shaking his head at the dizzying sense of joy which filled his heart and radiated from his chest, an irrepressible and goofy smile gracing his lips. "Bread sauce or no bread sauce..?" He wondered aloud, glancing around the kitchen at the various components of his meal indecisively, biting his lip as he narrowed his eyes, before finally shrugging his shoulders. "Why the hell not?" He snickered, adjusting some of his simmering pans and moving them to the back rings of the hob, as he grabbed a fresh, small pan and began to quickly mix the sauce; while simultaneously using another pan to make his gravy with some of the juices from his roasted meat.

 _"Woo, woo_!" He whooped, wiggling his hips energetically as he hummed along with another song, grabbing a gravy boat and a small bowl and filling both with his latest additions, setting them straight onto a dining table which had already been set for two, and decorated with a single red carnation. "... _mixing with the wrong boys_..." He mumbled, spinning away from the table with a smirk and shuffling back across the kitchen to prod his beef gently. "... _playing with the wrong toys!_ " He crowed, snickering as his feet tapped along to the beat, while he quickly transferred his meat to the carving tray.

"Urgh, there oughtta be some magic auto cleaner, washes everything you've used as soon as you're done with it." He complained petulantly, gazing at the roasting tray forlornly. "Downside of cooking Jake the best meal of his life... cleaning it up." He muttered, pouting as he peeked through the oven door, break out in a wide grin; his melancholy forgotten at the sight of his rising, fluffy Yorkshires. "Jake McKenzie, you're a lucky bastard." He hummed, moving away and turning off the various hob rings as he sighed happily. "There's only one person better at cooking than me, and that's Raj... So consider yourself, officially blessed, Top Gun." He bantered to himself, his stomach fluttering nervously as he began to dish up two plates of food.

Finally he turned off the oven, opening the door with a smug grin as he pulled out his Yorkshires and a small dish of stuffing, setting them both aside while he went back for his potatoes. He closed the door and moved across the kitchen to add the remaining items to the two plates, before finally returning to his beef. "Right, mister meaty... lets get you carved up." He murmured, picking up the carving fork and knife, before carefully slicing his hunk of meat. When he was finished, he grinned proudly, choosing the best slices for his lovers plate, while using the next best for his own. "Okay!" He crooned, glancing up at the clock just as it struck six o'clock, his heart skipping a beat joyfully, at the perfection of his timing. "Hell yeah, I'm good baby." He chuckled, carrying the plates to the table and setting them down in their places, smiling at the simplistic setting as he leaned through the doorway to the living room and looked at the front door expectantly.

For a heartbeat, Taylor waited with baited breath, before rolling his eyes and sighing; pulling back into the kitchen and moving to the sink. "Always plenty to do while we wait, hey?" He said to the empty kitchen, the first touches of uncertainty beginning to gnaw at his gut, as he filled the sink with soapy water and began to clean up his utensils, pots, pans and trays.

 _"... When I'm without ya, I'm somethin' weak. You got me beggin'... beggin', I'm on my knees!_ " He mumbled as he cleaned, his body flowing sinuously to his music as he worked. _"I don't wanna be needin' your love, I just wanna be deep in your love, its killin' me when you're away_..." He sang quietly, glancing at the clock to read that it was quarter past the hour. He bit his lip briefly, before moving away to grab a cover for each of their plates; sealing the heat within and prolonging their table lives.

 _"Your sugar! Yes, please_!" He sighed, running a hand through his hair and growling at himself, when he realised he'd trailed bubbles through his short red spikes. " _I'm right here... 'cause I need, a little love and a little sympathy_!" He continued, returning to his washing up with a dishcloth and beginning to dry up. _"C'mon,_ Jake..." He pleaded under his breath, as he put away the final utensils, looking back at the clock with a tendril of disappointment weaving into his heart, as the hands reached twenty to seven. "Oh, Top Gun..." He sighed, shaking his head as he leaned against the counter and looked at the spoiling dinners on the table.

He eyed his own plate dispassionately, his appetite faded in light of his growing disappointment. He sighed and pushed away from the counter, moving to pour himself a large glass of Jake's favourite whiskey and downing it quickly while he shut off his music. He cleared his throat and shook his head, walking through to the living room and throwing himself onto the couch with a sulky pout, his heart aching at Jake's continued absence. _One night... just one night_. He thought, sighing as he curled onto his side on the couch, watching the numbers tick by on the dvd player as his despondency grew.

As time slowly dragged its way onward, Taylor felt his eyelids begin to grow heavier, his heart aching as he felt the thickness of grief, constricting his throat. By the time the clock reached nine forty two, Taylor was past eating, past hoping; and past caring. He sighed as he rolled off the couch to his feet, rubbing his eyes tiredly as they stung with tears he refused to shed. He shuffled his way back to the kitchen, grabbing a small notepad and tearing a page in half, jotting down a quick list of instructions for reheating the meal, hesitating as he swallowed thickly, before finally resting it upon Jake's covered dinner.

"Jake..." Taylor croaked tiredly, setting his own plate on the counter with a heavy heart and casting an accusing glare towards the front door as he passed through the living room, heading for the bathroom to prepare for bed. He brushed his teeth and washed quickly, stripping off his clothes and tossing them in the hamper, before heading back into the hallway, pausing to cast a final sad glare at the door from the bedroom doorway. "... Happy anniversary, Jake." He sighed, turning to grab some pajama bottoms from the dresser as he passed, before curling beneath the sheets and finally allowing his misery to spill over, as he cried into his pillow until he fell asleep.

Taylors dreams were filled with melancholy reminiscence, a replay of a night three years prior, when he'd been content to dance by himself at a club, until a suave and infuriatingly cocky man had persevered to gain his attention. Despite Taylors every intention to humour the guy, but still send him packing at the end of just one song, he'd found himself warming to his southern drawl and determination to win him over. Before he'd even realised, they'd spent the entire evening together and he was agreeing to meet the following night for dinner, blushing furiously and suddenly shy, when the determined man had merely kissed his cheek before they parted ways; leaving him only with a name and a cocky proclamation. Jake McKenzie; ya future boyfriend.

Taylor woke to his four o'clock alarm with a bittersweet ache in his heart, quickly shutting the unfairly cheerful jingle off as his chest seemed to weigh him down with longing, yearning to return to the happy memory he'd dreamt of. Instead he drew in a deep breath and stretched, exhaling slowly as he tentatively turned over to see his lover still sleeping soundly. _How can one man be so beautiful, but still be such a pain in the.._. He swallowed thickly, watching Jake's bare chest rise and fall a moment longer, as the man snored softly. Finally, he sighed and quietly rolling out of bed, grabbing the uniform he'd ironed and folded the night before and heading to the bathroom to shower.

 _He's been busy, plus he's been picking up all the overtime he can lately_... He reminded himself, frowning as he shed his pajama bottoms and stepped beneath a warm spray of water. _Even if he did forget what day it was, you shouldn't be an ass to him._ He told himself firmly, though he knew in his heart that it was often easier said than done to be so understanding and forgiving. With a sigh he turned his face into the streaming water, pushing aside any coherent thought by focusing on one of the catchy, upbeat songs he'd memorized. "... _I want you! In a viral suit! I want you bad_..!" He hummed quietly, ducking his head forward to wet his hair, before shaking his head quickly to dislodge the excess water.

When he was done with his shower, Taylor quickly dried and slid his uniform on, making sure to open the window and vent the steam, before heading out to the kitchen. He glanced at the clean table, hesitantly stepping closer and half reaching over to brush the tips of his fingers against a rose in the middle of an enormous, free-standing mixed bouquet. _At least I know he remembered._.. He thought, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest, unable to decide whether he was touched or hurt by the gesture. _Couldn't have finished early, or hell just finished on time, though._ He added sourly, before he could stop himself. He swallowed thickly, stepping away from the beautiful flowers and moving to the fridge, quickly grabbing a carton of apple juice and pouring himself a tall glassful. As he returned the carton to the fridge, he examined the food dispassionately, finally sighing and merely closing the door.

"Ya oughta eat somethin'." Taylor started at the sound of a tired voice from the doorway, spinning to find Jake scratching his jaw and watching him uncertainly. "Ya didn't eat last night..." He added, gesturing weakly to the plate which Taylor had left upon the side before going to bed. Taylor scoffed, turning his back as he grabbed his drink and walked to the sink.

"I lost my appetite." He mumbled, drinking his juice as he heard Jake sigh and tentatively approach. "Don't even _think_ about it." He warned sharply, flashing Jake a scowl which caused him to pause in his tracks.

"Don't think about what..?" He asked, raising his brows innocently as he continued to ease his way towards him. "I ain't doin' nothin'. Just, wanted to apologize was all... for last night." He said, clearing his throat as Taylor snorted and finished his drink, setting his glass beside the sink as he turned to his lover.

"I'm still mad at you." Taylor said firmly, his eyes hard as he met Jake's guilty gaze, drawing him to a halt a few steps away. "You are not allowed to try and... and..." He said, his throat thick with the choking swell of heartache which he felt. "You are _not_ allowed to do that thing, where you kiss me and make me go all brainless and... and make me forget that I'm mad at you, so I just end up forgiving you!" He finally declared, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he turned away and grabbed his car keys from a hook on the wall.

"Taylor..." Jake sighed, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily as he tried to reach out to him, only to drop his hand at Taylors warning scowl. "Look, I'm sorry, I _promise_ I'll make it up to ya... There was a big job came in and I had to go puck up a part, but there was this holdup on the roads... I'm sorry, Boy Scout; I just... I didn't expect it was gonna take me so long." He explained, his face falling as Taylor turned away and stalked towards the door. "C'mon, Taylor, ya know I'd never have missed a chance to spend time with ya given the choice, especially on-"

"Well, I guess next year you should book the day off, like I did." Taylor snarked, knowing he was being an unfair ass, but unable to contain his disappointment after the previous day of excitement and longing. "I have to go." He said stiffly, grabbing his coat from the hook as he opened the front door. "If you want to take lunch today, you might as well take that other plate from last night in a tub. I'll only have to throw it out otherwise." He said scathingly, wincing internally at his own acidic tone.

 _"Taylor..!"_ Jake called after him pleadingly, but Taylor ignored him, closing the front door as he stalked out into the hallway. He hesitated, his hand still on the handle as he caught his breath and choked back a sob of both guilt and grief. After taking a heartbeat to collect himself however, Taylor continued down the hallway and trotted down the stairs to the car park, hopping into his car and slamming the door behind himself.

Alone in his car, Taylor felt his shoulders slump, his anger leaving him abruptly as he replayed Jake's pleas in his head. He worried a nail between his teeth, his heart aching at the lingering conflict between them. _"Shit."_ He muttered, sighing as he glanced out the window at the stairs he'd just taken down to the basement level of the complex. _There's no point going back now, we'll just end up arguing... which, may be mostly my fault at this point._ He thought, wincing as he considered his sulky behaviour. He shook his head, shifting his position as he cleared his throat and jabbed his key into the ignition. _Just get through the day... Time for work brain to take over now._ He told himself firmly, setting aside his personal heartache, as he drove himself to Edenbrook Hospital, where he worked as a security guard. He strolled into the staff changing room with ten minutes to spare, chewing his lip and shoving his bag into his locker, as he hung his coat up on a peg near the door. Taylor sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he counted to ten and pushed his personal feelings aside, exhaling slowly as he opened his eyes; and walked out of the changing room to confidently face the rest of his day.

Nine and a half hours exhausting later, Taylor returned. He yawned quietly as he grabbed his bag from his locker and sat down on the bench, sighing in relief after the usual, hectic day. He rummaged in his bag briefly and finally dug our his phone, checking his messages to see three from Jake since he'd left in a hurry that morning. **I'm sorry, Boy Scout.** Read the first, sent only minutes after Taylor had left; and he grimaced at the reminder of his previous bad mood. **I promise I'll make it up to ya. How about dinner first off? Tonight, at that fancy pants Greek place ya like?** Read the second, and Taylor snorted with a hint of amusement despite himself, knowing full well how much Jake hated Greek 'rabbit' food. His lips twitched fondly, as he scrolled to the third message, his heart melting at the simple message. **I promise I won't complain**.

"Jake..." He sighed, biting his lip guiltily as his abrupt exit that morning replayed in his mind. He reread the three messages, his heart leaping to his throat as he yearned for the comfort of his lovers arms around him. With only another heartbeat of consideration, Taylor pushed to his feet, grabbing his bag and coat before hurrying out to his car. He gave himself no chance to reconsider, dumping his things on the back seat before sliding into the drivers seat and starting the engine. _I'm making you finish early, Top Gun. Even if it's the last damn thing I do today_. He thought determinedly, throwing his car into gear and pulling out of his parking spot, an excited smile blossoming on his lips as he cruised along with the traffic, his heart accelerating with every block closer he drove to the garage where Jake worked.

"Okay..." He huffed as he reached the autoshop, parking at the side of the road across the street and checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. "Phew... okay, apologise for being an ass, accept dinner; drag him home for make up sex before we even go out." He said, his lips twitching as he winked at himself. "Shouldn't exactly be too difficult..." He snickered, glancing in his side mirror before opening the door and hopping out onto the pavement. He jogged around the bonnet, looking both ways and tapping his foot to the ground in frustration at having to wait for a gap the traffic.

As Taylor waited impatiently, he glanced across the street to the autoshop, his heart catching in his throat as he spotted Jake working on a cars engine. He smiled goofily, checking the traffic again when he noticed one of Jake's co workers on the opposite side of the street, hurrying along the busy sidewalk to the garage. He half raised his hand, about to call across the street, when they ducked quickly through the front door to the garage and tapped Jake on the shoulder. He snorted and shook his head, checking the traffic again and finding it was clear at last.

However, he froze upon returning his gaze to the garage, his heart turning cold and heavy at the excited smile and enthusiastic embrace which Jake greeted his co-worker with. He frowned, pausing mid-step as his smile flickered, his eyes darting between the giddy exchange uncertainly. _This can't be how it looks._ He told himself firmly, his throat constricting as he watched Jake hug his co-worker tightly, before shooing them away from the door. Taylors heart sank, shaking his head softly in disbelief as he watched Jake quickly close the doors and flip the sign from open to closed, before grabbing his co-workers hand and dragging them eagerly towards the back office, a familiar grin adorning his lips; one which Taylor had thought to be for him alone. His heart lurched as he moved to step forward, planning to race across the road and demand Jake explain how things weren't as they appeared, but the loud blare of a horn beside him caused him to jerk in surprise instead, stepping back to the curb and turning to see traffic was flowing once more.

"Ah-" he gasped, shaking his head and looking back across the road, staring at the closed sign in the door window, as his heart raced and sliced clean in two. "Oh god..." He choked, covering his mouth with his hand and swallowing back a strangled cry of distress. _Is this why he was so late last night.._? He wondered, stumbling backwards with his hip against the side of his car _. All the overtime he's been collecting... Was this the real reason? He's really_ \- unable to bear even the thought of the word, Taylor spun and clawed at his door, heedless of the thick stream of tears which cascaded over his cheeks in his blind need to put as much distance between himself and his lover as he could. "Oh god... _Jake..."_ He muttered brokenly, throwing himself into the drivers seat and fumbling with the key.

As the engine growled to life, Taylor cast a final pained and disbelieving look to the garage, which he would have assumed was empty; had he not seen the truth for himself. A heartbroken sob hiccupped free from his throat, as he pulled into the next available gap in traffic and fled the area as fast as the speed limit would allow. _How?_ He wondered, as he sucked in several shallow, ragged gasps for breath. _How could this have..? Why? What happened? I thought we were... I thought_... Taylor shook his head, trying to force the distressing thoughts from his mind, but only succeeding in making himself think of it all the more. _What do I do._.? He wondered, barely noticing where he was going, as he drove through the streets as if on autopilot _. I can't just go home and wait for him to... finish_. He thought, swallowing thickly and wincing at the thought of waiting at home, only for Jake to act as if nothing had happened when he returned.

"Oh god... this can't seriously be happening..." He choked, wiping his sleeve across his eyes as he sniffed back more tears. _I don't wanna be alone_... He realised suddenly, taking in a deep breath and looking around the street signs, quickly picking up his location and changing lanes to turn off at the next roundabout.

Fifteen minutes later, Taylor was knocking on a door urgently, his heart quaking with every hard slam of his fist to the door. The door was pulled open by a shorter man who appeared highly frustrated by the disturbance, his short black hair sticking in every direction. "Taylor?" He asked in surprise, his frustration quickly melting to concern as he ran his eyes over Taylors dishevelled and obviously distressed appearance. "Dude, what-?"

"Diego..." Taylor muttered, scrubbing his eyes uselessly with his shirt sleeve. "I really, _really_ need a drink." He declared, his bloodshot eyes meeting his best friends as they widened in surprise. "Please?" He pleaded, his lip trembling as he wrapped his arms around his own shoulders and seemed to shrink in on himself. "Please come drinking with me. And... c-can I stay here tonight?" He asked quietly, his eyes on the floor as Diego's concern grew close to panic.

"Of _course_ you can, just... God, Taylor!" Diego said, reaching for his friend and drawing him into an uncertain, one armed hug. "Dude, what the hell?" He asked, rubbing Taylors shoulder gently as he rest his head against Diego's shoulder and allowed some of his tears to fall. "Did something happen? Should I call Jak-"

 _"No!"_ Taylor yelped, jerking away from his friend and grabbing his hands, his eyes wide as he stared at him in earnest horror. "Please! Just... don't. I... I think..." He babbled, shaking his head as he failed to find the words. "Please?" He finally pleaded, swallowing heavily as Diego eyed him warily.

"Okay... okay dude, whatever you want. Just... come in." He said, stepping out of the way of the door and waving Taylor through to his living room. "Sit on the couch, I'll be with you in just a second... Then you're gonna tell me just what the hell is going on, okay?" He said firmly, closing the front door behind them as Taylor trudged over to the couch, falling face first into the cushions and curling into a ball, barely remembering to nod in reply to his friend, as his heart throbbed and splintered within him.

Despite Diego's best attempts to comfort and reassure him, an hour later; Taylor still couldn't bring himself to say what he'd seen. "Please, Diego... I just, I really need to get drunk right now. I promise you I'm not..." He repeated for the third time, as Diego sighed and leaned back on his chair, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. "Please... _Please_ just come out with me." He pleaded, using his sleeve to dry his face again.

"Fine, whatever assbutt." Diego snarked, sighing as he dug his phone out of his pocket and began to type furiously. "But if you think for a second I am handling your drunk, pain in ass by myself; you're sorely mistaken." He snorted, glancing up at Taylors quick sound of distress.

" _Not_ Jake!" He pleaded urgently, as Diego cocked a brow at him curiously. "Just, please... I can't..." He paused, his throat tight as he remembered the joyful smile he'd seen Jake throw to his co-worker; the smile he'd thought was his. _"Please_ Diego... Once I've had a few drinks and taken the edge off, I promise I will explain. I just, right now I can't face it. I can't face..."

"Jake..?" Diego prodded, frowning when Taylor hissed out a sharp breath and winced. He hesitated a moment, glancing back at the message he'd typed and quickly sending it to their friends. "Okay, Taylor. Okay... Just," he huffed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I think there's still a change of clothes in the spare room, think you left them here last time." He sighed, gesturing down the hall roughly. "Gimme ten minutes to finish my page?" He asked, raising a brow as Taylor nodded and pushed to his feet, shuffling away to get changed.

 _This can't be real_... He thought distantly, finding his clothes folded in the top drawer of a dresser in the spare room. _This is... it's all just, some really vivid nightmare. Maybe I just can't wake up yet.._. He thought, shaking his head softly as he quickly changed, before falling to the bed with a dramatic sigh. _"Please..._ just let this be the most awful dream ever..." He mumbled pleadingly to the ceiling, sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to ease his aching heart. Taylor whiled away the remainder of Diego's requested time, by gazing emptily at the ceiling, half dozing with exhaustion from his earlier crying. When Diego finally came to check on him and say he was ready, he was restless and more than ready to hit the booze with everything he had.

"You _sure_ this is what you-" Diego began, only to snort and roll his eyes when Taylor sprang to his feet and turned towards him eagerly, his car keys already jingling in his hand. "Oh no. If we are doing this, then I am officially the designated driver for the evening." He scoffed, holding out his hand and wiggling his fingers demandingly. "Hand 'em over, assbutt." He insisted, ignoring Taylors frown as he dropped the keys into Diego's extended palm. "Don't be giving me that look, or we won't go at all. Now come on... Sooner I get you drunk, the sooner you can tell me what the hell is going on."

Taylor swallowed, his heart aching painfully at the reminder of his dilemma. He nodded his head as Diego stepped aside, waving for him to lead the way. Taylor sighed and did as he was bid, leading the way out of his friends apartment and down to his car, wincing at his awful attempt at parking when they reached the vehicle. "Uh..." He coughed, as Diego raised a brow, before sliding into the drivers seat. "I... I wasn't really..." He muttered, closing his eyes as he hunched into the passenger seat guiltily and pulled his door closed after him.

"Yeah." Diego snarked, shaking his head as he waited for Taylor to buckle himself in, before starting the engine and pulling away. "I can tell." He scoffed, driving them downtown to their favourite bar. Taylor turned to gaze out the window, leaning against the glass as he despondently watched the city pass him by.

 _It's like everything I ever thought was beautiful about thus dumb city is._.. He thought, trailing his eyes over the various buildings and the parks of green fields tiredly. _Everything is just... empty. Fake_. He decided, rubbing at his hollow stomach as he recalled briefly that he still hadn't eaten, before forgetting once more as another thought attacked his heart sharply. _Just like your relationship, apparently_. He flinched as if he'd been struck, the thought resounding in both his head and his heart painfully. "Stop it.. just _stop_ it!" He whispered harshly to himself, burying his face in his hands in his distress; and missing Diego's concerned glance towards him, accelerating slightly in his hopes of fixing his friend.

The car had barely rolled to a stop at their favourite bar, when Taylor hopped out the passenger door and quickly jogged to the entrance, slipping inside before Diego had even exited the vehicle. He headed straight to the bar, placing an order for three shots and a large tumbler of whiskey; all of which was for himself. "Holy crap, Taylor..." Diego muttered as he finally caught up, eyeing the three empty shot glasses and the steady progress Taylor was making on gulping down his whiskey. "Dude, maybe you should slow down a little, huh? C'mon, lets find a seat and talk-"

"Jake's seeing someone else." Taylor blurted abruptly, gasping for breath as he lowered his empty glass to the bar, turning his watery gaze to his best friends shocked expression. "Jake's... He's..." He tried to repeat himself, to explain properly; but the words lodged in his throat, refusing to allow themselves to be uttered a second time without more lubrication. Taylor swallowed thickly, gesturing to the barman for a repeat order.

"Dude..." Diego began, reaching for Taylors shoulder but hesitating at the last moment, seeming torn over how to proceed with the confession looming over them. "Holy shit dude, are you..? I mean, how do you-?" He asked, gesturing vaguely as he dug his phone out of his pocket and sending another message to their friends, stressing the higher level of urgency to the gathering. "God... this is gonna be a long night." He sighed, picketing his phone and ordering himself a drink, as Taylor demolished his second round.

"We had a fight." Taylor finally said, drawing in a deep breath as he clutched at the bar and turned his face to the ceiling, relishing the numb haze which began to ensnare his previously aching heart, his head already growing fuzzy from the rapid consumption of alcohol on an empty stomach. "Well, we didn't really _fight..._ I was mad at him, 'cause he missed our anniversary last night, and I cooked his favourite and everything..." He babbled, the words finally flowing as the alcohol loosened his tongue. "You know he's been picking up all the overtime he can... He said this morning some big job came in..." He said, signalling to the bartender for another round.

"I was still so mad, I just... I couldn't deal with him. So I left, went to work and pushed it all aside til I got out at half two." He explained, swallowing thickly as he recalled the too vivid scene he'd watched unfold before him; his every worst nightmare enacted in one moment. "Realised I was an ass... wanted to apologise, drag him home and show him just what he missed out on last night. But-" he choked, his eyes stinging as he shook his head, his lips twisting into a pained grimace. "But before I got there, one of his workmates went in... and Jake was so excited to see them. He used my smile; _my_ smile! That's supposed to be for me, not anyone else! _Me!"_ He cried, turning to his friend with desperation in his eyes. "It's _mine,_ Diego! _Mine!_ He's not supposed to use that smile on _anybody_ else!" He ranted urgently, his distress rising as he tried to convey the importance of his claim.

"Okay, dude! Its _yours,_ I know!" Diego yelped, raising his palms in placation towards Taylors grief twisted expression. "I get it, okay? Just... calm the hell down" He said, sighing as he frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, is that all you're basing this on? A smile-"

 _"My_ smile!" Taylor grumbled, throwing back another shot and humming at the ceiling, holding the glass to his chest for a moment as the liquid warmed his frozen heart and stomach. "And no, Diego, of course it's not... don't be so stupid, dude." He huffed, finally lowering the glass to the bar with a forlorn sigh.

"Yeah, right, 'cause _I'm_ the one prone to bouts of stupidity and ridiculous overreactions..." Diego snorted, rolling his eyes as he sipped his own vodka and pineapple, at a much more sedate pace than Taylors rapid drinking.

"You once sulked for an entire three _days,_ just because I didn't make you peanut butter cups." Taylor snarked, casting his friend a withering flare, while Diego frowned and spread his palms with an air of innocent confusion.

"I'm sorry, how are these two things even relatable, right now?" He demanded, pouting as Taylor rolled his eyes. "Dude, you are not making any sense whatsoever. What has your overreacting tendencies got to do with that time you were being an ass to me?" He asked, as Taylor snorted and leaned on the bar, nursing his third whiskey.

"I'm _not_ overreacting." He insisted, frowning down at his glass moodily, his mind recalling the excitement on Jake's face as he'd closed up the garage, and led his co-worker through to the back. "... It wasn't just that he used my smile, Diego." He said, pausing to swallow a large mouthful of whiskey, fresh tears falling to his cheeks as he closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "He closed the garage. Instantly. Took them straight through to the back, like he couldn't _wait_ to..." Taylor choked, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth as he gave a heart wrenching sob. "Diego... Jake is..." He coughed, looking over at his friend brokenly, as Diego frowned but tried his best to comfort him anyway.

"Alright, buddy... It's okay." He said, glancing around as their friends began to pour into the bar through the entrance. "We're gonna get everything straightened out, okay? We'll work it out and... and..." He said, trailing off as Taylor looked over at him, his dark eyes filled with a pain he knew they would not shift that night. "C'mon... lets grab a booth or something." He finally sighed, guiding Taylor away from the bar by his elbow.

 _"No!_ More drinks-!" Taylor protested urgently, flailing his arms wildly to try and dislodge Diego's gentle but firmly guiding hold on his elbow. "I'm not _drunk_ yet! Diego..!" He demanded, his eyes widening as Diego urged him toward the nearest booth.

"Dude, for crying out loud! I'll get you another round, just get in the damn booth!" Diego huffed in exasperation, shaking his head and backing away a step as Quinn approached, steering Taylor more successfully towards the booth.

"Come on Taylor, lets let Diego get us some drinks, yeah?" She suggested knowingly, flashing a curious and concerned look at Diego, who shook his head and exhaled heavily as he backed away to the bar and quickly filled the others in on what had happened. "So," Quinn said, sliding Taylor into the booth and moving to slip in beside him. "How was your-"

"Hey, Quinn!" Diego called, as Taylor leaned back against the booth wall, staring at the ceiling despondently while he waited for his friends to order. "Uh, come... help me carry Taylors drinks..?" Diego asked, his eyes flitting between Taylor and the redhead quickly.

"Drinks..." Taylor whined, making grabby hands towards Diego pathetically, as his friend rolled his eyes. Quinn frowned but did as requested, heading to the bar and leaving Taylor to his own thoughts for a brief moment. _I wonder if he's finished yet_... He mused suddenly, grimacing at the double entendre thought. He struggled to dig his phone from his pocket, his brows raising when he realised it was five thirty, and he had three missed calls from Jake. "Stupid Top Gun." He muttered, his throat thick with the palpable sense of his grief. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid-"_

"Okay, I am just gonna take _that_ away..." Diego said, snatching hs phone from his hands and stuffing it into his pocket before Taylor could protest. "Trust me, you will thank me tomorrow when there aren't three hundred text messages clogging up your sent box." He snorted, ignoring Taylors pout as the rest of their friends joined them and setting a drink in front of him. _"No more shots."_ He added quickly, waving a finger at Taylor firmly, as he opened his mouth to protest.

Taylor snapped his mouth shut, scowling at Diego briefly, before picking up his new drink with a sneer and tossing it back quickly, before thrusting the glass back at Diego expectantly. Diego grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes, before finally giving in, snatching the glass into his hand and walking back to the bar. "So..." Craig said, fidgeting for a moment in his hesitance. "Uh, sorry Jake's doin' the nasty on you, bro-"

"Oh my _god,_ Craig!" Zahra snarled, scowling as she kicked his shin under the table, hard enough that Craig yelped and started guiltily. "What the hell have I said about you and talking?!" She demanded, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I swear to god, you're the most emotionally dense person I know; and that's _including_ myself." She sighed, casting a final glare at her boyfriend, before shrugging her shoulder at Taylor apologetically. "Sorry about the doofus." She said, jabbing Craig in the side as he scooted closer to her.

"Its okay, really... I know you mean well, Craig." Taylor said, forcing a tight smile to his lips as Quinn wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "I just... I can't believe this is real, you know?"

"I can." Estela said frankly, leaning back in her chair as the group turned to her in surprise. "What? I always said McKenzie was an idiot, this is just proving my point." She said, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "I can make him pay for hurting you though, if you want." She offered, taking a calm sip of her beer and raising a curious brow in a half hopeful manner.

"Uh," Taylor blanched, his aching heart recoiling at the thought of whatever retribution Estela had in mind. "I... I don't-" he babbled, looking around his friends helplessly, words failing him as his eyes welled with fresh tears. "Oh god..." He choked, shaking his head as he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. "How did this _happen?!"_ He rasped, his shoulders hitching as he fought to contain his grieved sobs. "I thought we were... I thought things were good, that... I mean, what did I do wrong?! What did I-"

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn sighed, resting her cheek to the top of his head as Diego returned with Taylors drink and set it down before him. "Taylor, you didn't do anything wrong, okay?" She insisted, prying his hands from his eyes and forcing him to reluctantly meet her sympathetic gaze. "This isn't your fault-"

"Nope." Estela agreed, tracing a pattern across the edge of the table. "It's McKenzie's fault. Which is really why you should let me-" she tried again, falling silent with a sigh, at Taylors distressed whimper. "Oh, fine... But I'm still gonna threaten him a little." She groused petulantly, tipping her head back and taking a large chug of her beer as she scowled at the ceiling.

"Okay, well, Estela's happy vengeance aside..." Diego said with forced cheer, clearing his throat as he jerked his chin towards the far side of the bar. "Look, Taylor. Your favourite is up and running again." He said, as Taylor followed Diego's gesturing half-heartedly to spy that the karaoke machine had been repaired since the last time they'd visited the bar.

Taylor gazed at the display blankly for several long moments, before finally blinking; his resolve hardening as he grabbed his drink and swallowed it down with a satisfied gasp, before slamming his empty glass down on the table. "Oh _great."_ Estela snarked, rolling her eyes and turning a faintly irritated scowl towards Diego. "Nice work, Soto. Good luck getting him back off of there before closing." She scoffed, shaking her head as Taylor slapped his palms to the top of the table and pushed himself to his feet, snorting when be wobbled unsteadily.

"Should be simple enough." Diego countered, shrugging dismissively as he watched Taylor struggle to make his way over to the karaoke. "I guarantee he'll be over here like a shot, if I buy him another drink." He huffed, exchanging worried glanced with his friends as Taylor fumbled with the songs machine.

"Yeah, and in the mean time; _we_ get to be subjected to Taylors drunk ass, singing a whole playlist of mopey 'I miss Jake' songs." Estela snorted, raising her brow at Diego knowingly, as he winced and bit his lip.

"I mean, he might not-" Diego began to protest, trailing off with a guilty grimace, as Taylors choice began to play. Music flooded the bar, the haunting melody blaring around them, as Taylors friends all turned towards Diego accusingly. "Yeah... okay. My bad. Next round's on me." He sighed, as Taylor held up two fingers in request of a double and began to sing lowly.

 _"Watching every motion... in my foolish lover's game_." He crooned sadly, hiccupping as he paused to tale a breath. _"On this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame._.." He chanted, closing his eyes as the music seemed to caress his broken heart. He watched his friends at their booth, talking among themselves quietly while casting him concerned looks.

 _"Through the hourglass I saw you! In time you slipped away_!" He cried brokenly, barely noticing the drunken slur of his words as he zoned out for an entire verse. ".. _. Watching every motion, in my foolish lover's game. Haunted by the notion, somewhere there's a love in flames_..." He choked, sniffling as he wiped his eyes on the back of his arm, before delivering a dramatic conclusion to the song.

"Z, why'd he pick that one?" He heard Craig ask Zahra, attempting but still failing to whisper as the music slowly faded away. "What's with the chick flick, shit..?" He wondered confusedly.

"I swear, you get less intelligent, _every_ time you open your mouth, Craig." Zahra sighed, rolling her eyes as Quinn and Diego snickered behind their hands. "It's from the film, idiot." She snarked, shaking her head when Craig merely stared at her blankly. "Oh my god, the film, loser; the one he associates with Jake..." She prompted, raising a brow expectantly.

"Huh?" Craig huffed, scratching his ear thoughtfully as he frowned down at the unassuming cocktail which Zahra had ordered him. "Brah, I don't remember that song being in Pirates of the Caribbean..." He said seriously, as their friends all snorted into their drinks.

"I should have left you at home." Zahra said dryly, her lips twitching in amusement at Craig's genuine bafflement, despite the scowl she wore. _"Top Gun,_ you doofus. Its from the film, _Top Gun_."

"Oh..." Craig hummed, nodding his head thoughtfully as he took a gulp of his drink. He frowned suddenly, looking around them all uncertainly. "What's that got to do with Jake though, y'all?" He asked earnestly, as Zahra shoved his shoulder hard and shook her head in disbelief.

Taylor turned away, his eyes drifting back to the karaoke machine as he perused the other songs. _Top Gun... My heroic, handsome ex-pilot._ He thought distantly, the descending haze of alcohol finally soothing his raw emotions, allowing him to breathe easier as he made a second selection. He looked around the bar, picturing the times he and his lover had gotten drunk together; noticing too late that he'd missed the first verse. _"No, I can't forget tomorrow... When I think of all my sorrow. When I had you there, but then I let you go._.." He croaked, tossing out his arm dramatically and gazing at the ceiling. ". _.. I can't live, if living I without you. I can't give... I can't give anymore_!" He cried, closing his eyes and throwing himself into the music, until time became a blur of sound; and his broken heartbeat.

As the night wound on, Taylor felt himself let go of the crippling heartache he felt, focusing on his singing and eventually finding himself able to choose more and more lively music to drunkenly dance to. He giggled between songs, pushing his emotional upheaval to the back of his mind until the following morning, as he drowned his sorrows in a tide of whiskey.

Halfway into their evening, his friends tried to tear him away from the karaoke machine, only succeeding when Taylor became strangely obsessed with Quinn's sparkly blue gown. "Quinn, you always look _soooo_ pretty..." He drawled, half curled into her side as she giggled and hugged him softly. "Your dress is so soft! Boys don't get such pretty, soft clothes... You're _soooo_ lucky! Pretty _and_ lucky... Pretty lucky!" He snorted, setting them both off into giggles again.

"Thanks, Taylor." She laughed, ruffling his hair fondly and kissing his forehead as he nuzzled her shoulder affectionately. "But you have some pretty clothes too, you know... What about that nice shirt you have, the one you wore to Aleister and Grace's wedding last year?"

"My buttons came off and Jake wouldn't sew them back on for me..." He said, pouting as he looked up at her amused gaze. "He said there was no point 'cause next time he ripped it off me, they'd just break again."

 _"Taylor!"_ Diego coughed, almost spitting out his drink as he spluttered. "What have I said about t-m-i, dude?!" He demanded, grimacing as he and scrubbed his eyes.

"... Ten minute innuendos..?" Taylor asked, frowning when his friends began to laugh at him. "Hey, what's with the laughing? You're all supposed to be being nice to me!" He demanded, pouting as he scowled at them reproachfully.

"Sorry, bro, but you're the funniest thing ever when you're drunk." Craig snorted, shaking his head as even Diego laughed in exasperation and sliding another drink across the table to Taylor. "Here ya go, dude."

"Ah..!" Taylor hummed gleefully, reaching over and delicately snagging his new drink. "Craig is forgiven!" He sing songed, ignoring his friends laughter as he drank his newest beverage.

"Oh, and what about the rest of us?" Diego snorted, raising a brow as Taylor looked over and smirked at him over the rim of his glass. "I've bought you _way_ more drinks tonight than Craig here has..."

 _"You're_ an assbutt." Taylor snickered, giggling when Diego rolled his eyes and drank some more of his own drink. "But Quinn has the pretty, soft dress. So _she's_ forgiven too." He said, flashing her a beaming grin as she laughed.

"Thanks, Taylor!" She giggled, shaking her head as she ruffled his hair gently. "I'm so happy my presence can make you feel better, even if it is only my clothes you love." She teases playfully.

"Silly Quinn, you're even more prettier than your clothes." Taylor mumbled, sighing as he set down his glass and gazed at her dress wistfully. "But I _do_ wish they were mine." He added sulkily, as Diego snorted into his drink.

"Right, i can just see you rocking a dress." He sniggered, exchanging a high five with Craig as he guffawed along with Diego. "Not to mention the heels, which by the way, you would already have tossed off; because there's no way you're drunk ass wouldn't break your neck."

"Diego!" Quinn scolded, frowning at him reproachfully. "Don't spoil his dreams!" She said, covering Taylors ears with her hands in playful protectiveness. "He can totally pull off a dress!" She insisted, as Taylor sniggered and curled into her side.

"Yeah, assbutt, don't spoil my dreams!" He sniggered, smirking at Diego as he rolled his eyes at Taylors drunken antics. "She thinks I could be pretty like her, so don't... don't..." He said, frowning as he paused and caught his breath, frowning as he tried to find the right word. "Don't be an _assbutt!"_ He finally declared, beaming brightly when his friends all laughed.

"Taylor, you're so silly. You're pretty anyway, even without the pretty clothes!" Quinn insisted, as Zahra groaned and returned to the bar, bored by the discussion of clothing.

"Nuh uh! _Diego_ doesn't think I'm pretty..." Taylor pouted, waving his empty glass at Zahra hopefully, as Diego snorted and shook his head. "And if I really were pretty, then Jake wouldn-" he paused, clearing his throat as the table fell quiet for a brief moment, the playful mood turning cautious.

"Right, that's it." Quinn said decisively, ignoring Taylors yelp of protest as she dislodged him from her side and pushed to her feet. "Come with me, Taylor, right now. I can settle this nonsense easy." She commanded, snatching up his hand and pulling him up after her.

"Hey..!" He complained, as she dragged him towards the restrooms. "You're _bossy..."_ He said, pouting as she glanced back and winked at him playfully. "Bossy, pretty Quinn." He giggled, following her a disabled cubicle quickly as she pulled the door closed behind them.

"Just do what I tell you to, okay?" She said, giggling as Taylor frowned and looked around the restroom curiously. "Taylor! _Focus!"_ She ordered, as Taylor snapped his eyes to her and raised a brow at her. "Come on, quickly... Ready?" She asked, giggling and releasing him as he nodded slowly, uncertain what he was agreeing to. "Okay, lets make you pretty." She said, winking as Taylors eyes slowly widened, blushing and hiding his face as he snickered.

Five minutes later, after much fumbling and bouts of giggling, the pair reemerged from the restroom. Taylor strut forward across the room, ignoring the loud laughter of his friends as he posed and wiggled his hips. "Quinn made me pretty." He said smugly, snickering as he turned a slow circle to show off Quinn's dress, which remained undone at the back due to his broad shoulders. He attempted to make a small bow, but only laughed when he instead stumbled into the table next to his friends.

"Hell yeah, I did." Quinn giggled, carrying Taylors shoes for him, as she paused to slip her own back on her feet. "You're now the prettiest girl in the room, Taylor!" She snickered, as Taylor puffed his chest our proudly, smirking at himself as Quinn rolled up his jeans over her ankles quickly.

"Quinn... why-" Diego began, changing his mind as Quinn rolled her eyes and retook her seat, beaming at Taylors happy grin as she adjusted his t-shirt and tied it in a knot before her stomach. "Okay! Well, this is now the weirdest night out we've ever had. Officially." He said instead, shaking his head as he turned back to Taylor, who was running his hands over his hips, marvelling at the softness of Quinn's dress.

"Pretty..." He hummed joyfully, not noticing as Quinn raised a knowing brow and smirked at Diego. "Okay, this calls for more singing!" He finally cried, stomping back to the karaoke machine despite his friends protests, one hand consistently caressing the soft material of Quinn's dress against his hip.

"Damn, Taylor... Not gonna lie, you can rock a dress." Zahra admitted, strolling over and handing him another drink, as he beamed at her proudly and posed for a photo. "Just so we're clear, if anyone asks, I do _not_ know you." She added, as she put her phone away.

Taylor laughed, saluting her roughly as she walked away and sipping his drink with a pleased hun, as he turned to choose another song. "I _don't like no nasty car, I don't like a nasty food._.." He crooned, wiggling his hips suggestively. " _The only nasty thing I like, is the nasty groove!"_

Taylor looked over his friends, the haze of alcohol numbing his senses and making his breath come easier, as he released his frustrations and pain away. "... _Pretty woman stop awhile,"_ he crooned lowly, swaying his hips as he attempted a sultry walk around the karaoke stage, his friends laughing as Zahra filmed him with a smirk. " _Pretty woman talk awhile_..." He sang, attempting to drop into a sensual crouching pose, but only succeeding in falling on his ass. " _Pretty woman, give your smile, to me!_ " He sang, smiling goofily as he stumbled back to his feet and wiggled about the stage, burning off the excess energy which the copious amounts of alcohol had left him with.

" _There's a boy... I know; he's the one I dream of!"_ He continued to sing, his smile faltering as his heart clenched painfully, thoughts of Jake attempting to return to him. " _Looks into... my eyes... takes me to the clouds above_..." He sang less energetically, frowning as he trailed off and cancelled the song, swallowing heavily as he tried to force away the thoughts of Jake which tried to surface.

"Hey," he turned at the sound of Craig's voice, his large friend offering him a fresh drink as he cast a concerned glance over him. "You okay, bro?" He asked uncertainly, clearly out of his element but attempting to give comfort all the same. Taylor looked back down at the glass he was offered, forcing his lips into a small grin and nodding as he accepted, before turning back to the karaoke machine. He made a new choice as Craig walked back to their booth, raising his glass to his friend gratefully. He laughed when Craig raised his own in return and was so focused on his drink, as he and Craig raced to finish their drinks first, that he missed the start of the latest song he'd chosen.

"Ha!" He coughed, slamming his glass down on the table beside him with a proud grin, ignoring the unsteady wobble of his legs as he sniggered. "... _I don't want to waste my time on simple little things_..." He quickly chanted, shaking his head along to the beat as he waved his hips from side to side, finally catching up with the song. " _I'd rather stay here all the night with happy boys who sings!_ "

" _Come on let's go get it on, everybody let's go have some fun_!" Craig called over, his hand over his mouth as if he were rapping, until Zahra hit him in the shoulder and hid her face behind her hand, ducking down low in her seat.

"Oh, my god." She snarked furiously, her cheeks flushing as Taylor sniggered and shared a goofy grin and a thumbs up with an oblivious Craig. "Just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" She demanded, glaring around the room quickly.

 _"I've got a feeling you could use a little smile_..." Taylor continued, wiggling his ass toward the crowd with a giddy giggle. _"Hoping you could stay there for just a little while_!" He sang lightly, pointing and waving his finger to Craig, tossing him a playful wink.

" _Making a lot of noise up there, throw your hands up in the air_!" Craig chanted, doing as the song bade and throwing his hands in the air, raising his pinky and index finger as he rocked out to the chirpy song.

"That's it, I am disowning you." Zahra said scathingly, glancing around in obvious embarrassment as the rest of their friends laughed. "Quinn swap seats with me, I can't be seen assosciating with this loser." She groused, only for Craig to laugh and pull her into his lap, burying his face in the side of her neck beneath her Mohawk. _"Craig!_ Godammit, what the hell are you- oh... come to momma..." She trailed off to a grim mutter, biting her lip and flushing guiltily, until Craig resurfaced a moment later, a pleased and sappy grin on his face. "I hate you." She snarled, scowling as she kissed him passionately.

 _"I don't want to waste my time on simple little things_!" Taylor crowed, his amusement fading slightly as he watched his friends make out; his heart aching at the thought that he couldn't do the same with Jake. _"I'd rather stay here all the night with everyone who sings_..." He hummed, trailing off despondently and turning to examine the remaining song stockpile.

"Okay, dude, I think that's enough outta you for one night." The bartender said, strolling over with a frown, a little over an hour later. "And I think it's about time you switched to water, buddy." He added, eyeing Taylors unsteadiness warily.

"One more mister barman..." Taylor whined, as the bartender stood beside the karaoke machine, his irritated scowl fixed on Taylor as his fingers inched towards the power button. _"Pleeeeeaase?!"_ He pleaded, trying to flutter his eyelashes and only succeeding in squeezing his eyes shut. "I promise... _pro-miss!_ It's the last one!" He pouted, blinking up at the bartender slowly.

The bartender hesitated, watching Taylor closely for a moment before cutting a sharp glance at his friends, as if blaming them for his situation. _"Fine."_ He sighed, shaking his head as he stepped back and allowed Taylor to browse the songs again. "But after that its going _off..._ and I'm closing up in the next hour!" He warned, waving a finger around their group, before stalking back to the bar with a grimace.

"Okay..." Taylor muttered, squinting his eyes as he scrolled through the options, until he found a song which made his heart lurch. "Oh..." He hummed softly, selecting the song and turning to his friends, quickly snagging his drink and taking a large gulp before the song began.

 _"I'm at a payphone, trying to call home... All of my change I spent on you_." He sang, closing his eyes and pressing the cool empty glass to his forehead briefly. " _Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong... Where are the plans we made for two?_ " He continued with a strained sob, setting his glass down on the table carefully, before taking a sharp breath and looking out across the bar.

 _"Yeah, I... I know it's hard to remember, the people we used to be... It's even harder to picture, that you're not here next to me."_ He sang, waving his free hand in time to the beat, trying to ignore the thought's of Jake which tried to intrude in the back of his mind. " _You say it's too late to make it, but is it too late to try? And in our time that you wasted, all of our bridges burned down.._." He sang, pointing up to the ceiling as he rocked his hips from side to side.

" _I've wasted my nights; you turned out the lights, now, I'm paralyzed. Still stuck in that time; when we called it love, but, even the sun sets in paradise_..." He sang, his voice breaking briefly, before he took a deep breath and looked out across the bar; his mind slowly recreating the awful scene which he'd witnessed earlier in the day.

 _"I'm at a payphone, trying to call home... All of my change I spent on you._ " He sang, his heart aching as he watched the event unfold before him once more; Jake and his co-worker disappearing into the back office together, after closing the garage. _"Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong... Where are the plans we made for two_?"

" _If 'Happy Ever After' did exist... I would still be holding you like this. All those fairy tales are full of shit. One more fucking love song, I'll be sick_." He sang, spitting the words almost venomously, as his throat tightened painfully.

 _"Oh... you turned your back on tomorrow, 'cause you forgot yesterday. I gave you my love to borrow, but you just gave it away_." He crooned, a half sob choking him briefly, before he clenched his fist and glared across the bar, determined to continue. _"You can't expect me to be fine, I don't expect you to care! I know I've said it before, but all of our bridges burned down_..." He scoffed, shaking his head as he turned in a slow, unsteady circle and waved his hips to the beat. " _I've wasted my nights; you turned out the lights, now, I'm paralyzed... Still stuck in that time; when we called it love, but, even the sun sets in paradise_..."

Taylor sucked in a deep breath, desperately pushing back against the overwhelming swell of emotion which tried to smother him. " _I'm at a payphone, trying to call home. All of my change I spent on you. Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong... Where are the plans we made for two_?" He half pleaded, noticing his friends exchange nervous glances with each other as he stumbled. _"If 'Happy Ever After' did exist, I would still be holding you like this. All those fairy tales are full of shit. One more fucking love song, I'll be sick... Now I'm at a payphone_." He sang bitterly, his throat and nose tickling as a hot tide of tears rolled over his cheeks. He grabbed his drink, sniffing as he tossed the last of the drink back, closing his eyes as the music washed over him; his broken heart aching for his lover.

 _"I'm at a payphone! Trying to call home! All of my change I spent on you_!" He finally yelled, hiccupping as he stumbled into the nearest table and leaning against it heavily. " _Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong! Where are the plans we made for two?!_ " He demanded urgently, wiping his eyes angrily. _"If 'Happy Ever After' did exist, I would still be holding you like this! All those fairy tales are full of shit! One more fucking love song, I'll be sick_!" He choked, slumping his shoulders as his breath finally hitched with a sob. "... _Now I'm at a payphone.._." He sniffed despondently, lowering the microphone and swallowing heavily, as Diego's hand settled hesitantly on his shoulder.

Taylor looked up blearily, swallowing back the worst of his grief as he met his friends concerned gaze. "Taylor..." Diego sighed, shaking his head sadly as Taylor caught his breath, leaning forward to bury his face in his friends shoulder. "C'mon buddy... lets get you home-"

"I can't go home!" Taylor moaned pathetically, sniffing tiredly as he wiped his tearful eyes on Diego's shirt. "I have no home anymore! Jake was my home! But I wasn't Jake's home apparently... So, now I'm _homeless..."_ He muttered, as Diego grimaced and gently pushed his friend away from his shirt.

"Okay, first off; no drool, tears or snot on our friends clothes. There's no point making rules of bro-ship, if you're not gonna follow them." He snarked, rolling his eyes at Taylors self piteous wallowing. "Second of all, that was the most chick flick thing I've ever heard... I mean it, I am _ashamed_ to call myself your best friend right now." He scoffed, as Taylor snorted and wiped his eyes with his bare arm instead, his heart lightening with affection for his friend, despite the heavy sense of loss and betrayal he felt. "Thirdly, dude... You don't know for certain that this isn't just some, extremely weird and unlucky coincidence or something. Jake might actually have a genuine reason for whatever happened, and until you _talk to him,_ you won't know for sure."

"Diego's right, Taylor..." Quinn said, stepping up to his other side and rubbing his shoulder gently. "You have to talk to him, confront him if need be. However unlikely it seems right now, you _could_ still be wrong..."

"He used my smile..." Taylor protested weakly, gazing up at Quinn brokenly; as if the act were evidence enough on its own. _"Mine..."_ He muttered petulantly, scowling at the amused twitch of Quinn's lips.

"And for that, Jake is an ass... and you can tell him so, when you're sober and you talk to him." She said, giggling as she flicked the strap of her dress on his shoulder. "For now though, lets get you some sleep mister pretty."

"He is an ass..." Taylor mumbled in agreement, stumbling as his friends helped him make his way out of the bar, guiding him slowly towards the back door of his car. "Jake is... he's the biggest, baddest, dumbest... sexiest... has the most gorgeous, _cutest..."_

"I feel like Taylor forgot he was trying to insult the dumbass." Estela snorted, rolling her eyes as she opened the car door for him. "C'mon idiot... McKenzie is an ass; we are aware. Now get in the damn car." She huffed, almost affectionate with her order as she took his elbow with surprising gentleness.

"He _is_ an ass..." Taylor agreed, sucking in a deep breath of the cool night air, shivering slightly as he looked around the street. "A total... _pain in the ass_." He hummed, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he gazed down the street.

"Taylor..?" Diego murmured in concern, following his line of sight and raising a brow at him worriedly. "What it is? If you're gonna hurl, do it _before_ we get you in the car... Just 'cause its your car, doesn't mean I wanna have to ride home with your puke fumes." He said, frowning when Taylor moved away from the car. "Dude-"

"Oh man, Taylors got the _hunger,_ brah!" Craig cheered, laughing as Taylor made his way determinedly, if slowly, down the street. "Get some, Taylor!" He encouraged, as Quinn and Diego exchanged nervous glances, and hurried after him; while Estela rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, watching the events unfold with amusement.

"Let's hope Taylor has more brain cells left than you did, doofus" Zahra sniggered, jostling Craig's arm with a playful jab, following after the group slowly. Taylor set his teeth firmly, ignoring his friends as he stomped determinedly toward his goal, utterly set on his plan to show Jake just what an ass he was.

When he woke the following morning however, Taylor remembered nothing of his retribution. He sighed slowly as he woke, his heart swelling with grief as he recognised his friends apartment, as opposed to his own bedroom window. He swallowed thickly, his dry throat constricting as he yearned for the familiar warmth he was used to waking to. He groaned as his head began to pulse weakly, whining faintly as he scrubbed his hands over his face tiredly. _Oh god... Why couldn't it all have been some awful, awful dream._.? He thought, exhaling a slow, deep breath as he looked across the room. _I wonder what he did last night_... He mused, before scowling and shaking his head. _No I don't. He probably loved the fact I wasn't there, so he could have his exciting new lover there all night_. He wiped his eyes viciously, refusing to cry at the thought, as he stretched himself out and rolled onto his back with a sigh, only to yelp and launch himself from Diego's couch at the sudden flare of pain he felt. Panic consumed him, his eyes darting around the apartment worriedly as he tried to recall the previous nights endeavours, hos chest tightening at the continued ache he felt in his ass. "Diego!" He cried, looking down at himself and frowning at the glittery blue dress he wore. "What the..?" He wondered quietly, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair and winced at the faint throb in his temple; though it was nothing to the stinging of his ass. _"Diego!"_ He yelled again, grimacing at the pain he felt.

"Ah. He awakens." Diego snorted unsympathetically, striding in from the kitchen and raising a brow, as he folded his arms over his chest. "What's the matter, little miss pretty?" He sniggered, his lips curving in amusement as Taylor looked back at him in panic and confusion, his hands splayed over Quinn's dress questioningly.

"Diego, my ass hurts." He said bluntly, his eyes wide as he stared at his friend imploringly. "Diego, why does my ass hurt? What did I do? Oh god, tell me I _didn't-"_ he babbled, pacing quickly as he waved an arm nervously.

"Calm down, already," Diego scoffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "You seriously think I'm gonna let you bring some random dude back here? Hell, I barely let you stay here if Jake is with you. I want none of your shenanigans in my home, assbutt." He snarked, shaking his head as Taylors shoulders slumped in obvious relief.

"Oh, _thank god_..." He sighed, running his hands through his hair as he frowned down at the dress he was wearing. "Um... I don't suppose you could fill in a few blanks for me here, buddy?" He asked, raising a brow as he pointed to himself. "I seem to be missing some memories... and my clothes." He added, frowning as he lowered his hand to his ass tentatively. "And _why_ does my ass hurt, if I didn't-?"

"Okay, first off; you wanted to be pretty, so Quinn swapped your clothes. She dropped yours off an hour ago on her way to work." Diego explained, walking over slowly and gently taking Taylors elbow, guiding him through his living room. "Second, well... Perhaps show is better than tell right now. Just for the record though, I did _everything_ in my power to stop you." He added seriously, leading Taylor through to his bedroom and pointing to a large wall length mirror.

Taylor swallowed nervously, eyeing Diego worriedly as he shuffled closer to the mirror, frowning when he saw only himself in a dress, but otherwise blessedly without fault. "Wha-?" He began, turning back to Diego confusedly, who snorted and twizzled his finger for Taylor to turn around. "Oh for pity's sake, Diego!" He huffed in frustration, scowling and running a hand through his hair. "Just bloody tell me already and stop freaking me out even worse! What the _hell-"_ He demanded, as Diego rolled his eyes and walked over, turning Taylors back to the mirror and pointing back at his reflection as he lifted the hem of Quinn's dress to show his ass. "Oh my..." Taylor choked, looking over his shoulder at his reflected, exposed ass cheek.

"I told you not to, dude." Diego said, raising his palms and backing away, as if to deny all responsibility for Taylors actions. "Hell, Quinn and I both tried to drag you out, but you were beyond determined... You were actually kinda savage about it." He added, scrubbing the back of his neck guiltily.

"Oh my god..." Taylor repeated, staring in both shock and awe, at the four green, stencilled letters on his ass, decorated by a small pair of dog tags. "This is... this is a _joke,_ right?" He finally asked, his throat tight as he glanced at Diego, his eyes wide and panic stricken. "You guys just got some permanent marker and did this?"

"Fraid not, bud." Diego sighed, folding his arms over his chest like a scolding parent. "... I guess this makes you the  _literal_ butt of all our jokes for now-" he began to snigger, barely hiding his grin behind his hand as Taylor whirled to stare at his reflection again.

"Dude!" He cried, half reaching for the clear material over his new tattoo, before wisely reconsidering the action. _"Dude!"_ He repeated urgently, casting a wide eyed, reproachful half glare at his friend. "Dude, how could you let me-"

"Hey, hey! Oh no, uh uh, back up there, assbutt." Diego protested, holding out a palm as he dug out his phone with his other hand. "The only good thing about you being, well _you..._ Is that you made me take this." He explained vaguely, scrolling through his phone until he found a video file, before offering the device to Taylor. "There." He huffed, shoving it into Taylors hands and pressing play.

Taylor frowned as the screen blurred a moment, before his own face came into view, holding off a protesting Diego with one hand as he laughed into the recorder. " _Yo, Taylor of the future!"_ He crowed, casting a slow and exaggerated wink into the camera. _"You're about to do something totally awesome! But, mister worrywart here, thinks you're gonna blame him tomorrow morning... Or, whatever time you finally wake up from this terrible turned awesome night_." He snickered, as he bat Diego's hands away playfully. " _So, future me, this is an order from present me... past me to you... past you? Whatever, this... This awesomeness is entirely you're own idea; and when its done in a couple of hours, you and I... We... Pfft, dude, what was I saying_?" He asked suddenly, turning to Diego as he scowled and muttered something off screen. " _Oh yeah, yeah, I remember... I, by which I mean you, will show that lousy, dirty... sexy, sexy bastard just what an ass he is!_ " He finally laughed, before tossing the phone back to Diego, the screen blurring again before the video shut off in the middle of Taylors excited whoop.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Taylor demanded, shaking his head at his own drunken idiocy as hw looked up at Diego with a frown. "You can't _seriously_ expect this to count?!" He huffed, glancing back at the phone before handing it back to Diego.

"That's what I said you would say, when you were sober." Diego warned, shrugging his shoulders dismissively,as Taylor frowned at the permanent nark on his ass. "But you insisted my friend; and I am therefore not to blame for your dumbass decisions. Hell, _you're_ the one who gave the artist an extra hundred bucks to do it." He scoffed, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

 _"What?!"_ Taylor yelped, his eyes widening as he spun back from examining his ass. "Where the hell did I get a hundred bucks from?!" He demanded, panicking that he'd dipped into his rent money.

"Craig and Zahra." Diego explained, smirking as Taylors jaw dropped in surprise. "Eh, you should know better than to do stupid shit when they're around, dude." He said, spreading his palms as he moved out into the hallway. "Be grateful Raj wasn't there, else it would have been twice the size and spread across your whole ass!" He called back, as Taylor looked over his shoulder at his reflection again, shaking his head as he tentatively reached down and ran a finger over the clear, protection over his tattoo.

"Guy breaks my heart... and I immortalise him on my body." He muttered darkly, sighing as he finally looks away and ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "Guess it makes sense, he pretty much owns every part of me at this point." He said, swallowing against the thick lump which formed in his throat as he sighed and followed after Diego. "So- _oof!"_ He coughed, scowling and pulling his clothes from his face, as Diego laughed unrepentantly.

"Oh man, that was priceless." He chortled, wiping his eyes as his laughter slowly faded, watching Taylor as he tried to sit on the couch before finally giving up, leaning against the arm instead. "Look," he sighed, anticipating the meltdown Taylor could feel building in his chest. "Go and have a shower, take some aspirin and... we'll talk after that. You can't just hide here, and you know it." He said knowingly, as Taylor pouted and toyed with the hem of his shirt.

"I mean, I could _try..."_ Taylor protested weakly, as Diego snorted and herded him down the hall to the bathroom. "I can be small, and tidy... and I could cook for you!" He pleaded half heartedly. "I'll be _really_ quiet-"

"Taylor; shut up and get in the shower." Diego said, gently but firmly, urging Taylor into the bathroom and closing the door between them before he could protest any further. Taylor sighed, dropping his clothes to the floor by the door, and starting when Diego poked his head back around the door. "Oh, and don't take the cover off and get your tattoo wet; or you wasted over a hundred bucks." He said, before quickly closing the door again.

 _"Assbutt!"_ Taylor yelled through the door, scowling when he heard Diego merely laugh in response. He quickly locked the door, struggling briefly as he worked out how to get himself out of Quinn's dress without damaging it. _God... as if it weren't bad enough that I have to face everything, now I have to do it with this_. He thought acidly, sighing heavily as he tried to look down at his ass, before shaking his head and stomping into the shower.

Three hours and forty five minutes later, Taylor was clean and dressed; and was utterly petulant, as he sat in the passenger seat of his car awkwardly, trying not to sit on his sensitive cheek as Diego drove him home. "Stop sulking." His friend sniggered again, as Taylor pointedly ignored him and pouted out the window, his heart hammering as his gut churned with nausea.

"Diego, I don't think I can do this..." He tried to protest once more, his hand on his stomach as it fluttered weakly. "I... I don't think I can do this. I can't face him... if he's even there, I mean. Can't you just, grab me some clothes?" He asked pathetically, his hands turning slick with perspiration as hysteria welled in his chest. _"Please,_ Diego..?"

"Dude, you have to talk to him." Diego insisted, shaking his head at Taylors continued attempts to wheedle out of going home. "Look, Taylor, I feel for you, you know I do-" he said, casting Taylor a withering glare as he scoffed loudly. "But you can't just run away from this, you have to talk to him. Find out what's really going on and figure out where you're going now, if it is what it seems. I am not gonna harbour you like some fugitive, Taylor." He said, pulling into the car park outside Taylors shared apartment with Jake. "The longer you leave it, the harder it will be... and the more it will hurt." He said, with more sympathy, cutting the engine and turning to Taylor fully. "You _know_ all this..."

"Pfft, doesn't mean I have to _like_ it." Taylor muttered, staring across the parking lot at the front entrance to the building, his gut curdling with nervous anticipation. "... Come with me?" He asked semi hopefully, turning to Diego with wide, pleading eyes.

"Sorry, compadré..." Diego said, spreading his palms, before exiting the car and walking around to Taylors door, helping him out as he handed back his keys. "My work waits for no man, especially _me."_ He said, snickering as he drew Taylor into a brief hug. "For what its worth... good luck, dude. I hope..." He trailed off as they parted, words failing in the circumstances, as Taylor sighed and nodded glumly. "Call me later? If things are really..." He said, gesturing vaguely with his hand as Taylor winced and looked away. "Well, you can always come back to mine later, if you need to."

"Thanks." Taylor mumbled, clapping his palm to Diego's briefly, before turning towards the entrance to his building. "Okay... Well, I guess I'll talk to you later." He said, taking in a deep breath as Diego patted his shoulder and nudged him forward gently. Taylors feet felt like lead, as he walked slowly across the parking lot and into the main building, making his way up to the apartment he and Jake had shared for a little over two years _. This might actually be the last time I'm here_. He thought, his breath catching painfully as he whimpered in distress. _Hell, this could be the last time I ever see Jake._ His mind quipped, as he shook his head, trying to dislodge the awful thoughts. "Oh god..." He choked, as he slowly approached his door, fishing out the right key and sliding it into the lock.

Taylor paused, sucking in a deep and unsteady breath as he turned his eyes to the ceiling and tried to gather his scattered nerves. _Please, oh god, please..._ He thought desperately, swallowing heavily as he exhaled sharply and licked his lips _. Please let me get through this_. He silently pleaded, finally turning the key and walking into his apartment slowly. He paused just inside the hallway, listening intently as he closed the door carefully. "... Jake?" He called cautiously, his stomach roiling as he waited tensely for the other mans response.

When there remained no sound from the other man, Taylor frowned, slowly making his way to the living room and gasping at the scene he found before him. "What the-?" He spluttered, his brows raising as he cast his eyes around the room, shaking his head in disbelief as he eyed the mess which was strewn across every surface. Clothes, books and paper lay scattered upon the floor, as if a tiny hurricane has blasted through the apartment. He choked, backing into the hall again and making his way to the bedroom, which appeared to have been similarly destroyed. _What the hell._.? He wondered, hesitating for a tense heartbeat, before delicately picking up the corner of a t-shirt. "Jake?" He called again, frowning as he recognised the t-shirt as one of his own.

Taylor sighed, shaking his head on bewilderment as he walked to the wardrobe and grabbed a small suitcase, laying it on the bed and sorting through the scattered clothes; returning Jake's to the wardrobe, while folding his own into the case. _Least then it's ready_. He thought, pausing as his eyes stung and his nose itched, his lip trembling as he fought to swallow back a thick lump of grief in his throat. _Just incase._

Taylor raised his head as he heard the front door open, slamming shut a moment later. _"Taylor?!"_ He heard Jake call urgently, and he frowned as he quickly zipped up the case, setting it beside the bed and sucking in a sharp breath, before finally responding.

"In here..." He called tightly, his brows raising at the rapid thud of footfalls which raced down the hallway. His heart ached as he saw Jake, his eyes widening as they raked over his ragged appearance and the urgent gleam of relief in his face. "Wha- _whoa!"_ he huffed, tensing when Jake strode immediately across the room and threw his arms around him, pulling him into a near bone crushing hug.

"Jesus fuckin' christ, ya bastard..." He choked tightly, as Taylor frowned, hesitantly raising a hand to Jake's shoulder as he felt him trembling against him. "Don't _ever_ fuckin' do that to me again, ya hear?" He demanded, drawing back to run his eyes over Taylor frantically, his hands rising to cup his cheeks as he searched his face with desperation. "What happened? Where the bloody hell were ya? I was goin' nuts tryin' to get hold of ya!" He demanded rapidly, as Taylor blinked in confusion and furrowed his brow, easing his face free of Jake's overwhelming touch and stepping around him with a small cough of discomfort.

"I uh, I was out with Diego..." He said awkwardly, folding his arms around his chest as his heart raced, his throat tight from the surge of emotion which tried to choke him. "A couple of the others came too." He said quietly, finally turning back to Jake as he huddled as far away from him as he could, raising a brow at Jake's furious expression.

"So ya went on the piss, and ya what? Just couldn't be bothered to answer ya bloody phone? Send me a text?!" He demanded, running a hand through his hair distractedly, scowling at Taylor in disbelief. "I ain't gonna intrude on ya, if ya wanna hang out without me, Boy Scout but fuck, ya could've at least bloody well told me!" He snarked, as Taylor flushed with guilt, his temper flaring at Jake's audacity to act the victim.

"Well, maybe I thought you were _busy."_ He spat acidly, wiping his eyes with the back of his arm as he felt tears begin to well. "After all, you're always _so_ busy nowadays, right?" He scoffed, sneering at Jake's confused frown and grimace of frustration. "Hell, maybe I just thought you wouldn't even notice I was gone." He added, hiccupping as his heart lurched painfully. "M-maybe I thought you'd bring your stupid _friend_ from work over." He muttered bitterly, scowling at the concern and confusion he could see in Jake's clear gaze.

"The hell are ya blatherin' about?" Jake demanded, approaching Taylor cautiously, as he tried to back away and maintain some distance between them. "The hell am I gonna bring anyone here for, bad enough I have to see 'em at work." He scoffed, frowning as Taylors expression darkened. "Even if I did bring one of those dumbasses back here, what the bloody hell does it have to do with ya disappearin' for an entire goddamn night? Other than to have an extra set of hands while I was out lookin' for ya sorry ass." He added, his brow furrowing further when Taylor held himself tighter and moved out of his reach. "The bloody hell is goin' on here, Taylor? What are ya-?"

"I _saw_ you!" Taylor cried, raising his arms defensively and walking around the bed, avoiding Jake's gaze as best he could. "I felt bad for being pissy, so I came to say sorry after work. I was planning drag you home for some make up sex, which would have rivalled the anniversary sex you missed..." He sniffed, shaking his head as he wiped his eyes viciously. "But you were _busy."_ He spat, casting Jake a brief accusatory glare, as he huddled against the wall at the far side of the room.

"What? So why didn't ya just come and say somethin' anyway?" Jake asked, frowning at Taylors obvious discomfort, shifting his weight awkwardly as he tried to approach again. "Ya know I ain't ever gonna be too busy when it comes to-"

"Ha, yeah I know that _now._ Never too busy to close up shop, and head into the back with your..." Taylor scoffed, scowling at Jake's windening eyes and shocked expression, as he wiped his eyes. "Forgive me for taking the night to process that you're a... that you've been-"

"Hey, now hang on a minute-" Jake interrupted, his expression darkening as his eyes narrowed with realisation. "Ya can't _seriously_ be tellin' me that ya think I'd..?" He spluttered indignantly, as Taylor shook his head irritably and turned his face away, pointedly refusing to answer. "Oh, come _on,_ Taylor!" Jake cried, scowling in disbelief. _"That's_ what ya disappeared all night for? 'Cause ya thought fuckin' useless shit like that? Jesus, I thought ya fuckin' knew me better than that!" He growled, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Oh what, you guys just went out back to braid your hair?" Taylor snorted, skitting away from the walls and trying to move around the bed again as Jake tried to approach. "Don't think you needed to shut up shop for _that,_ Top Gun." He snarked, biting his lip to keep it from trembling. "Jake, how _could_ you?" He pleaded brokenly, shaking his head as Jake grimaced and purposely inched closer. "What? I'm not doing it for you anymore? I mean hell, you're never even here anymore! So how _can_ I?!" He choked, backing away and yelping when his ass hit the wall. _"Don't!"_ He warned as Jake slowly pemmed him in, reaching out to him tentatively.

"Listen up, ya crazy bastard, I ain't ever met anyone does it for me like _you_ do; and ya damn well know it. So cut it out with this bloody paranoid, freak out shi-" he began, wincing and ducking his head out of reach as Taylor desperately tried to shove him away.

"I said, _don't!"_ He pleaded, trying to back further into the corner and finding himself with no where else to go. "Just, just..." He protested, trying to block Jake's approach and failing, when the ex-pilot caught him by the wrist and secured them against the wall beside him. "God Jake, don't you _know?_ They'll _never_ love you like I do..." He choked, struggling against Jake's hold weakly. "I got a stupid tattoo to prove it, you asshole... can bet your ass _they_ wouldn't-"

"I wasn't bloody cheatin' on ya, ya stupid idiot!" Jake spoke over him, growling in exasperation as his expression flickered between irritated, amused and curious. "I _never_ have, and I _never_ will; 'cause even though ya a crazy, paranoid fuckin' idiot, I _love_ ya..." He said slowly, beginning to shake his head, before he frowned and cocked his head instead. "Did ya... just say ya got a tattoo?" He asked, his brows raising as Taylor blushed and scowled at him.

 _"Yes!"_ He complained irritably, glaring at Jake in frustration. "Because you're such a goddamn pain in the ass, I got your _stupid_ name tattooed on my _stupid_ ass last night!" He barked, sniffing as his eyes stung. "Because you're a stupid... lying, cheating... _stupid_ ass!"

"I ain't a bloody cheat!" Jake growled, wincing as Taylor tore a wrist free and began to whack him in the shoulder, half choked sobs escaping him as Jake held tight to his other wrist and tried to dodge his blows. "Godammit... Will ya bloody quit it already? _Hey!_ I ain't bloody cheatin', ya idiot!"

"Sure, what you shut up in the middle of the day often do you?" Taylor demanded, whining in frustration as he tried to free his other hand, while slapping at Jake's shoulder. "You give out _my_ smile often?! That's supposed to be _mine!_ You're not supposed to use that on _other people_ , you stupid... _ass!_ Urgh, all that bloody 'overtime' you were doing! It was all just code for you and your bit on the side to be fucking around!" He sobbed brokenly, his eyes red and his cheeks damp from the tears he couldn't keep from falling.

"Alright that's _it,_ godammit..." Jake growled over his rambling, grabbing Taylors other wrist again and pinning it to the wall again. "I was working extra to pay for ya stupid ring, ya paranoid prat! I closed early to check it over!"

"God, I can't _believe_ you! You stupid-" Taylor choked, shaking his head rapidly as he scowled, before stilling abruptly and frowning. "Wait, what?" He asked, blinking in confusion as Jake glared at him and huffed in exasperation.

"Ya _ring,_ ya idiot." Jake repeated slowly, releasing Taylors wrists carefully to dig in his pocket. "The one which weren't ready in time for our anniversary... and I had to send a buddy from work to collect, 'cause I was so bloody busy. Planned to do some big, romantic gesture last night... 'cept ya never came home." He said, sighing as he dug out a small box from his pocket and shoving it into Taylors hands. "Here ya go." He scoffed, his hand tangling in his hair in uncharacteristic awkwardness. "Element of surprise is fucked now, so..." He said uncertainly, clearing his throat as Taylor swallowed heavily, his eyes wide as he looked up at Jake briefly, before looking back at the box.

Taylors hands shook, as he slowly peeled back the lid, his free hand rising to cover his mouth as a strained sound of surprise escaped him. "Oh my..." He choked, shaking his head as he sniffed and raised wide, tearful eyes to meet Jake's hesitant gaze. "Jake..." He mumbled behind his hand, his breath catching as his heart swelled and jumped into his throat.

"Was plannin' to give it to ya for our anniversary, 'cept it weren't ready. Gotta tell ya, figurin' out ya measurements without ya knowin' was a real bitch..." Jake explained quietly, watching Taylor intently as he drew in a shaky breath and swallowed thickly, finally lowering his trembling hand from his mouth to hesitantly stroke the small silver band, adorned with tiny dark sapphires. "Finally managed it when ya were asleep one night." He added, reaching cautiously to pluck the ring from the box and raising a brow. "If I try and put this on ya finger, ya ain't gonna hit me again, right?" He asked, his lips twitching faintly as Taylor choked on a startled sob like laugh. Jake snickered softly, moving to slide the ring onto Taylors appropriate finger, when Taylor jerked his hand back suddenly. "Hey, wha-?" Jake began, his brow furrowing with concern and his eyes clouding with panic briefly.

"This can't seriously be..." Taylor blurted, blinking back tears of emotions he couldn't even begin to try and decipher. "Oh my god..." He gasped, covering his face with his hands as he felt fresh tears spill over his cheeks. "This is... I..." He babbled, his eyes slowly meeting Jake's as he gently prised his hands free of his face. "This is the dream too, right?" He asked, shaking his head in disbelief and swallowing thickly.

"Nah, this ain't anywhere near romantic enough to be a dream, Boy Scout..." Jake chuckled, eyeing Taylor closely as his lips twitched into a lopsided grin. "But that's ya own damn fault for being such a damn idiot." He added fondly, his eyes lowering to Taylors hand as he moved to slide the ring onto his finger again.

"Oh god..." Taylor muttered, his shoulders shaking as another sob escaped him, his free arm raising to scrub his eyes furiously, as the cool ring slid slowly along his finger. "Jake, I-" he sniffed, lowering his arm as Jake held his hand and traced his thumb over the perfect fitting ring. "I..." He choked, closing his hand around Jake's and staring down at the ring on his finger in disbelief, his heart floating in the base of his throat. After several moments of thick tension, he frowned and looked back at Jake. "Did you... Did you just assume I'd agree to marry you?"

"Ya were strugglin' enough already, what with all ya crazy." Jake said, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly. "Figured I'd save ya the hassle of actually sayin' yes." He said flippantly, flashing Taylor his favourite, special smile. "Besides, we both knew what ya answer would be."

"Oh, do we now?" Taylor huffed, raising a brow briefly as his lips finally quirked into a small smile, his free hand rising to Jake's jacket lapels and toying with the fabric gently. "Jake..." He sighed, gazing down at his hand and shaking his head slowly, before looking up at Jake with a broken gaze. "Jake, I... I'm sorry, its just... with you being gone so much and then our anniversary, when I saw-"

"Taylor, much as I hate havin' to say it... I _get_ it." Jake sighed softly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "If it'd been the other way around, I'd probably have come straight in guns blazin' and fists swingin' at whoever I saw ya with... But ya've always been more of a thinker than a fighter." He said, shrugging his shoulder lightly. He stepped closer, his cheek against Taylors as he held him close. "Just... try not to run out on me again, huh? 'Cause I gotta say, not knowin' if ya were alright has been..." He murmured into Taylors ear, swallowing audibly and shivering, as Taylor wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry..." Taylor mumbled back, nuzzling Jake's cheek softly as they basked in each others comforting embrace for a long heartbeat. Finally, Jake leaned back slightly and cupped Taylors cheeks in his palm, gently wiping beneath his eyes with his thumbs. _"Jake-"_ his breathless murmur was caught by the soft press of Jake's lips upon his own, a gentle hum escaping him as his heart thrummed weakly in his chest. _Oh god... there will never be a time this doesn't feel right_. He thought distantly, his breath catching as Jake kissed him slowly, with all the love and affection he'd thought he'd lost the previous evening. His fingers curled into Jake's jacket, his heart skipping a beat as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to hold back the tears of relief and joy which rolled over his cheeks.

"Godammit, Taylor..." Jake muttered, sighing in exasperation as he pulled away some time later. "What the hell am I gonna have to do to get ya to stop cryin'?" He demanded, wiping Taylors cheeks as he laughed quietly.

" I'm sorry, I just..." He choked, his lips locked into a ridiculously goofy smile. "I can't seem to find the off switch!" He teased lightly, squeezing Jake's shoulder as he shook his head and laughed again, despite his hiccup of a sob.

Jake sighed and rolled his eyes, a small grin on his lips as he leaned in to knock his forehead to Taylors. "I love you, Taylor." He said, his arms enfolding Taylors waist and holding him close.

Taylor bit his lip, sniffing quietly as he utterly failed at hiding his sappy grin. "I love you too, Ja- _a_ _h!"_ His confession turned into a yelp, as his ass brushed the wall, the sensitivity of the marked flesh taking him by surprise. He shifted away from the wall, grimacing at Jake's raised brows and the twitch of his lips. "Don't." He warned firmly, swatting Jake's shoulder playfully. "You are _not_ allowed to be amused by this." He said, sighing as he rubbed at his brow. "I have _so_ many lotions to apply and a _huge_ list of aftercare I need to read through..." He complained.

"Show me." Jake said, as Taylor flushed with embarrassment and turned his face away, pretending not to have heard him. "Aw, c'mon, Boy Scout..." Jake pleaded, his hands drifting to Taylors waistband and attempting to undo his button.

 _"Hey!"_ Taylor laughed, swatting at Jake's hands and attempting to squirm free of his hold. "Hey, hands off, McKenzie! Just because you put a ring on my finger, doesn't mean you can just manhandle me like this!" He snickered, giggling when Jake leaned in to nip at his throat bt way of distraction.

"C'mon, ya gotta let me see it, it's about me!" He hummed against Taylors skin, causing him to shiver and bite his lip as he tried to twist his neck free of Jake's consuming touch. "How big is it? I bet its awesome, like me... C'mon, I need to know-"

"Oh god, no!" Taylor laughed, as Jake's stubble tickled his throat. "I'm not giving you a reason to be any more smug about this, than you already are..." He snickered, meeting Jake's excited gaze with an exasperated huff. "You _do_ realise this was supposed to be an insult to you?" He asked, biting his lip as Jake waddled him back to the bed slowly.

"Heh, ya marked yaself as mine, Taylor." Jake snorted, his eyes flashing briefly as his fingers deftly began to work at Taylors fly again. "Don't matter how it was intended, right now, I'm takin' it as a win." He said, smirking as Taylor laughed a.d swatted at his hands.

"You know, I'm not sure there's _ever_ been a man with as big an ego as yours." Taylor snorted in amusement, sighing as Jake's hands drifted under his shirt and caressed his skin softly. "Only _you_ could take an insult as a compliment." He said, arching his neck and drawing in a deep, shuddering breath as Jake invested himself into a more determined attack upon his throat. "I..." He paused, rocking on the balls of his feet and curling his hands into claws, as a breathless moan slipped from his lips. "Jake-"

"Hm?" Jake hummed against Taylors skin, his hands restless against his back as he slowly teased his t-shirt higher and exposed more of his bare skin. "Seem to recall ya sayin' somethin' about make up sex, Boy Scout..." He murmured, nipping Taylors ear with his teeth affectionately.

"I... _did_ say that, didn't I?" Taylor mused, his thoughts clouding with desire as Jake's touch slowly awoke his body. "Not sure how that's gonna work right now though, Top Gun..." He muttered, groaning as he felt Jake's hand on his hip, grinding himself to Taylor in slow building passion. "Oh... I-I mean... _Nng!"_ He trailed off, his lips parted with a soft sigh as Jake surfaced from his throat and met his heavy lidded gaze with a wave of his brows, tracing his thumb across Taylors lower lip briefly.

"Don't worry, Boy Scout." He assured, leaning in to graze his lips over Taylors. "I got ya." He murmured, drawing Taylor into a teasing but chaste kiss. "I promise... Just leave it to me." He said confidently, as Taylor hummed and arched closer, his breath catching as his lips met Jake's firmly. His heart swelled with love and affection, his cock hardening within the confines of his jeans, as Jake kissed him with such an intense determination, that Taylor was left almost light-headed.

"Jake..." He groaned between intense kisses, catching his breath as Jake pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside carelessly, his hands dragging slowly over Taylors back to his hips. _"Mmm!"_ He hummed, helping Jake slide his arms free of his jacket, before peeling his own t-shirt off and throwing it away similarly to the previous garment.

Taylors breath caught as his skin collided with Jake's, his heart hammering wildly in his chest, as Jake's kisses grew more demanding. As Jake reached again for Taylors waistband, his lips breaking free of Taylors to mouth at his shoulder hungrily, Taylor found his own fingers working at Jake's belt urgently, desire pulsing through him as intensely as his blood in his ears. "Oh god..." He gasped, as Jake bit the junction of his collarbone gently, his hands slowly rolling his jeans over his hips and simultaneously tugging him closer; before palming over his cock and squeezing teasingly.

"Taylor-" Jake breathed longingly against his skin, causing Taylor to shiver pleasantly as he shoved his jeans to the floor. He shuffled backwards, pulling Jake with him as he shed his own jeans and underwear, glancing back when his legs met the side of the bed.

"I..." He said thickly, turning back to Jake and humming in surprise when his lips were claimed in a deep and passionate kiss. _"Mmm."_ He groaned, kneeling on the edge of the bed awkwardly, slowly crawling backwards as Jake joined him on the bed, his hands gliding over Taylors side's with increasing hunger and urgency.

"I got ya." Jake repeated quietly, his hands dropping to Taylors hops and squeezing quickly. "Trust me." He said, gently maneuvering Taylor onto his front as he blushed and buried his face in the pillows. He tensed at Jake's sharp intake of breath, his heart racing nervously as he awaited his lovers reaction. _"Damn..."_ Jake huffed, startling Taylor as he felt his fingertips softly stroke the sensitive flesh of his marked ass cheek. "Ya oughta get mad at me more often." He finally said, as Taylor laughed into his pillow, his tense shoulders relaxing at Jake's awed tone. "I'm serious, Boy Scout... This is..." He said, falling silent as words failed him.

"The great Jake McKenzie, lost for words?" Taylor teased, peeking over his shoulder to see Jake staring in awe at his own name on Taylors ass. "Who'd have thought?" He snickered, as Jake's eyes finally flicked up to his own.

"Just admirin' the view." Jake quipped easily, flashing Taylor his favourite smile as he leaned over his back to kiss him deeply. Taylors breath caught, his heart pounding furiously as Jake's kiss slowly stole his breath. He gasped as Jake broke free, trailing kisses down his throat and shoulders quickly, pausing briefly as Jake raised his head and leaned over the bed to his bedside table. Seconds later, his lips returned to Taylors skin, moving across his body unhurriedly.

"Jake..." Taylor breathed, arching as his lovers kisses trailed over the globe of his ass, moving across to the tattooed cheek carefully. "Oh..!" He groaned, shivering as Jake softly kissed the sensitive flesh, his hand cupping and squeezing the opposite cheek firmly.

"Shit... Ya fuckin' sexier than ever right now." Jake choked thickly, as Taylor flushed and hid his face in the pillows, a goofy grin on his face as he rolled his hips experimentally. He hissed as his cock rutted into the sheets, while Jake's fingers trailed across his ass, until they hovered over his entrance. "Holy fuck, Taylor... Ya sure go all out on anniversary's, don't ya?" He teased, as his fingers caressed the tight ring of muscle.

 _"Jake-"_ Taylor moaned, as Jake slid two fingers into him, teasing the flesh and stretching it slowly, as his lover gently prodded at a node of nerves in his ass. He arched from the bed, bracing himself on his forearms as he sighed at the pleasure which rippled through his body, rolling his hips back against Jake's fingers. "Jake, _please..."_ He groaned, raising his head to peer back over his shoulder, to find his lover shaking his head as he stared at the tattoo of his name with obvious affection. "Jake!" He pleaded sharply, causing Jake's eyes to snap to his own, as he swallowed thickly.

"Heh, impatient, huh?" He asked, recovering his wits quickly as he smirked at Taylor. He hummed as he pulled his fingers free, pausing to coat then in more lubricant and quickly stroking his own cock, before shuffling closer. "Alright, Boy Scout, I got ya." He huffed, glancing back at Taylors tattoo and gently covering it with his palm, as he used his other hand to guide his cock into Taylors ass. "That what ya wanted?" He murmured, as Taylor groaned lowly and rocked back against him. "I'll take that as a _yes..._ shit!" He hissed, his free hand slapping against Taylors unmarked asscheek with a ringing clap, squeezing the flesh tightly.

Taylor gasped, his heart clamouring urgently as Jake thrust into him gently, taking care not to hurt his sensitive, marked skin; though his fingers trailed the area gently, eliciting tiny thrills and shivers of pleasure to erupt along Taylors spine. _"Ohhh..."_ He groaned, raising his hips and moving back against Jake urgently, panting to try and catch his breath as his cock pulsed and jumped eagerly.

"Goddamn, Taylor..." Jake muttered with a deep moan, gripping Taylors hip tightly as he carefully splayed his fingers if his other hand over the tattoo of his name. Taylor hummed vaguely, glancing back over his shoulder to see Jake staring in awe at his ass. "Ya sure know how to make a guy feel special. Oh... _Holy-"_ he mumbled, trailing off to a loud groan as he snapped his hips forward harder, his eyes rising to meet Taylors pleading gaze over his shoulder. "Aw hell..." He murmured tightly, lowering himself carefully over Taylor and sliding his hand from his hip to his cock.

"Ah..." Taylor cried, his back arching up to Jake's chest as heat pooled in his gut, coiling tightly as his orgasm hovered at the edge of his mind. _"Jake!"_ He called, his hand fisting into the pillowcase as Jake's lips settled on his shoulder, his hand stroking him firmly as he rocked his hips into him; his hand guarding Taylors tattoo from the slap of skin against it. "Oh, Jake... _Jake!"_ Taylor cried, his words turning to incoherent sounds of pleasure as his cock pulsed into Jake's hand, his mind fogging with the blissful swirl of his orgasm.

 _"Fuck-"_ Jake cursed tightly, groaning as he rocked his hips snugly against Taylor and stilled deep within him, his breath hot as his stubble tickled Taylors throat softly. "I dunno how ya did it..." Jake muttered, kissing Taylors jaw as he panted and smiled, glancing up at Jake's smug grin over his shoulder. "But ya went and made my favourite thing even better." He said seriously, drawing in a deep breath as he shuddered over Taylors back.

Taylor laughed breathlessly, hurting his face in the pillows to smother the sounds of relief and the stray tears of happiness he couldn't contain, his heart light as he hasn't thought it could be in almost twenty four hours. "Glad I could make it special for you." He said as he finally surfaced, glancing back as Jake kissed his way along his spine, slowly easing himself away from his body. He felt his face flush with heat, as Jake paused, trailing his fingers over the tattoo a final time and lowering to kiss it softly, before moving over to lay beside him.

"Guess this means ya layin' on ya front for awhile, huh?" Jake snickered, smirking as Taylor pointedly rolled onto his side, his un-tattoed ass cheek against the sheets. "Aw hey, now come on, Boy Scout!" Jake protested, reaching for him and pulling him closer. "How am I supposed to look at it now?" He complained, straining to see his name on Taylors ass over his shoulder. "C'mon, trade sides with me, then I can still look at-"

"Jake, shut up already." Taylor laughed, playfully batting Jake's hands away from his ass. "It's not like its going anywhere. You can look at it... uh, some other time." He muttered weakly, blushing as he curled into Jake's arms, kissing and nuzzling his jaw with soft affection.

"Yeah, but..." Jake protested, before sighing and finally giving up, folding his arms around Taylor and holding him close. "Hey, Boy Scout..?" He asked a few moments later, as Taylor yawned and hummed in quiet curiosity. "Next time ya get all paranoid, can ya just come and talk to me? I really don't wanna be chasin' round all night tryin' to find ya again after we're hitched." He murmured, as Taylor smiled and pressed his face into Jake's chest, humming in loose agreement as they lay peacefully and contently, slowly drifting into a light doze.

He woke to the sound of his phone ringing, frowning when he found himself alone in bed, until he spied the small note on Jake's pillow which said he would be home again soon. "Mmm..." He sighed, rolling over to his front and looking around for his jeans, rooting through his pockets until he found his phone and tugged it free. "Hello?" He finally answered, raising it to his ear.

"Hey, I haven't had any hysterical sobbing on my answerphone so, I just wanted to see how it's going." Diego said, as Taylor smiled and looked down at the ring on his finger, his stomach somwrsaulting joyfully at the sight.

"Uh, I _guess_ it's going okay..." He said lightly, biting his lip as he clicked his tongue thoughtfully against his cheek. "I mean, I'm getting married, so..." He said with forced nonchalance, his face aching from the force of his smile.

Diego was silent for several seconds, processing Taylors confession, before he cleared his throat loudly. "Okay, I'm gonna need you to fill in a few blanks for me, dude." He finally demanded, as Taylor laughed and fell into an explanation, gazing at his ring fondly as his heart swelled with love and joy.

It was several hours later, after having cleaned up the apartment and started preparing dinner, that Jake returned. He strode up behind Taylor and slid his arms around his chest, drawing his back to Jake's chest as he feathered kisses to his cheek. "Hmm, well hello to you too, Top Gun." Taylor snickered, lowering his veg and knife and turning to embrace his fiancé.

"Never get tired of seein' ya waitin' for me when I get home." Jake said twasingly, leaning in to kiss him as as Taylor rolled his eyes. "No panickin' today then?" He asked, snorting when Taylor swatted his arm playfully. "I missed ya." He added seriously, knocking his forehead to Taylors gently.

"Hmm... I missed you too." Taylor admitted reluctantly, pouting as he toyed with Jake's tags. "Where'd you go? Did work call you in..?" He asked, nipping Jake's finger as he swiped it across his lip slowly.

"Nah, had an idea and I couldn't sleep, so..." He said, smirking when Taylor raised a brow curiously. He stepped back, shrugging off his jacket and slowly raising his t-shirt to reveal his chest. "Whaddaya think?" He asked, his eyes flashing with uncertainty as Taylor covered his mouth with his hand and stared at his name on Jake's chest.

"Oh god, you _didn't..."_ He murmured, reaching out with his free hand to the reddened flesh, before hesitating and shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh my god, you _did..."_ He huffed, a smile forming behind his hand as he looked up to meet Jake's waiting gaze.

"Eh, figured I might as well match ya." Jake sniggered, relaxing at the sight of Taylors smile. "Plus I thought it'd stop ya gettin' any crazy ideas in ya head again." He added quietly, as Taylor gently traced a finger over the small ring which hung from the 'y' in the middle of his name.

"Oh, Jake..." He said, laughing as he wiped away tears from his eyes. "You are _such_ an idiot... But at least you're _my_ idiot." He snickered looking up as Jake's arms folded around him, his cerulean gaze serious even as he grinned smugly.

"Ya the only one who owns my heart, Taylor." He said, nuzzling his nose affectionately. "Ya just got a permanent reminder of that now." He snickered, as Taylor broke out in peals of laughter.

"Oh god," he finally gasped, looking up at Jake with amusement glittering in his eyes. "I guess this means you own my ass then." He snorted, immediately breaking out in giggles again.

"Hell yeah, I do." Jake agreed with a growl, his hands slipping to Taylors ass possessively. He muted Taylors giggles by kissing him lightly, sighing contently as they shared a moment of companionable silence. "Hey, Boy Scout?" Jake asked, drawing back from Taylor with a small frown and fishing his phone from his pocket, as Taylor cocked his head curiously. "I was just wonderin'..." he said, raising the phone to Taylors eyes and smirking at his sudden fierce blush. "What's with the dress?"

Taylor felt his face heat furiously, his heart skipping a beat at the mischievous gleam in Jake's clear eyes. He kissed him hard in lieu of answering, his heart swelling with joy and affection as they held each other close; beginning the next chapter of their lives as they meant to continue.

_Together._


End file.
